Jillian Holtzmann: Ace Attorney
by Pieland24
Summary: Literally a Phoenix Wright AU that no one asked for. Slow-burn Holtzbert.
1. Chapter 1

She woke to the tune of WHAM! Rubbing her eyes, Holtzmann blindly reached for her nightstand.

"Jillian Holtzmann, how can I help you?" She tried to sound awake, but the coarseness of her voice was too evident. While she had went to bed at a reasonable time, (not an often occurrence), her mind couldn't rest. Today was the day.

"I was hoping you were already awake."

"It's only," Holtz glanced at her alarm clock and panic rose through her chest. She had twenty minutes. "Oh crap! Abby, I gotta go."

"I figured. Gorin's already down here. You nervous?"

Holtzmann rushed to her closet and haphazardly threw her suit on. Catching a glance of herself in the mirror, she let out a frustrated sigh and hurriedly gelled her hair. While it was wise to cut it shorter and style it in a more presentable manner, Holtzmann liked her signature messy up-do. She adjusted her red tie, (a gift from Abby once she graduated), and smoothed out her blue slacks. She wanted to look her best, even if she wasn't feeling it.

"Me? No. This is what I've been practicing for, Abs. I'm ready."

"Glad to hear it! You got the files?"

Holtzmann smirked as she grabbed the case files off her table and rushed out the door.

"Course! I'm on my way, tell Gorin not to worry."

Abby wished her luck. Holtz hopped onto her bike and peddled. She had been waiting for this day for the past 15 years. She been dissuaded from choosing such a stressful profession. Holtzmann could handle anything, and she was ready to prove it.

"I'm surprised you took this as your first case, Jillian." They're heels echoed throughout the hall as they walked. "A homicide, with a witness. One would call you reckless, Jillian."

Holtz kept her gaze ahead. Gorin, her mentor, had promised to be by her side for her first trial, though Holtz knew Gorin had doubts. A smart person wouldn't have taken on a homicide case, especially with such strong evidence against the defendant. But Holtzmann enjoyed a challenge, even when the odds were not in her favor.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Holtz scratched the back of her neck. "But I kinda owe the defendant a favor." They turned the corner and arrived in the defense lobby. Gorin raised an eyebrow.

"This is news to me. You'll have to tell me after the trial." She carefully adjusted Jillian's badge. "Remember, you can never press too much. Ask questions, think outside the box."

Holtz nodded, her nerves catching up to her as she walked into the courtroom. The bench was located in between the bar and well, with two jury boxes behind each. Holtz took her place at the bar and well, surprised to see the judge already at the bench.

"Well, Ms. Gorin, always a pleasure."

Gorin nodded. "Judge Bradley."

"I see you brought a student of yours." He gestured towards Holtz with his gavel. She opens her mouth to correct him but Gorin bear her to it.

"Actually, she graduated not too long ago. This is her first case. I have faith she will do well."

The judge nodded curtly. "Well, good luck to you. You'll need it." He mumbled the last part, but Holtzmann still picked it up. She gulped.

Minutes later the jury took their seats, and the defendant was ushered in. Holtz tried not to give him a pitiful look, but how could she not? Benny wasn't capable of hurting a fly, let alone murdering someone. Apparently he had forgotten that the trail was today; he was still dressed in his work clothes.

"I forgot to mention," Gorin said, "The prosecutor is one of the best." Holtz looked across the room to see a scrawny-looking women dressed in a tweed blazer and matching skirt. Her auburn hair was pulled into a tight bun and reading glasses hung over her chest. Her head was buried in what Holtz assumed were the case files. "Erin Gilbert. Hasn't lost a trial since she started out."

Holtzmann's jaw dropped.

She hasn't lost one case?

"So, um. What does that mean for me, exactly?"

"I know what you're capable of, Jillian. You can hold your own, even against the best."

The best being Gilbert. Great.

"If everyone is ready, then the court is now in session. Is the prosecution ready?" The courtroom grew quiet. Holtzmann looked to Benny, who looked defeated already. Her heart ached for the guy, and she decided she wasn't letting him walk away in cuffs.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Holtzmann was surprised by how sweet her voice sounded, a complete opposite of her appearance. How could anyone make tweed look so good?

"Ms. Holtzmann?"

Holtz snapped out of her daze, a blush creeping onto her face. "Um, yes?"

"Is the defense ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The judge nodded. "Ms. Gilbert, would you like to explain the weapon used to the court and what it is?"

"The weapon used to kill the victim was a small statue, which was found lying in the floor next to the victim."

"Ms. Gilbert, the prosecution may call its first witness to the stand."

"The prosecution would like to call the defendant to the stand."

Holtz watched as Benny took his seat. He started bouncing his leg, much to the annoyance of Erin. She wrinkled her nose, but continued.

"Please state your name and occupation."

"Uh, my name is Benny. I deliver Chinese food."

"Is it true that you had a relationship with the victim?"

"She ordered take out every weekend, so we saw each other a lot."

Erin squinted her eyes. Holtz wondered what she was thinking.

"I see. So you were well on a first name basis?"

"Yes."

"And you went to the victim's apartment on the day of the murder, correct?"

Benny eyed the ground below him. Holtz held her breath.

"Well, I just stopped at the door so-"

"So you were there, yes or no." Erin snapped. Patience didn't seem to be in her vocabulary. Benny flinched before answering. Holtzmann found herself cowering as well, coughing before straightening herself out.

"Yes, technically I was at her apartment."

The jury murmured at the statement.

"Well, it seems he was present the day of the crime. You may call your first witness to the stand."

Holtz stood up straighter, mentally preparing herself for the testimony. All she had to do was find a contradiction.

"I would like to call Mr. North to the stand."

Holtz eyed the man. He was short, had untamed brown hair and, in her opinion, looked crazy. He didn't seem nervous, Holtz noticed. Overconfidence was a flimsy shield, however, and Holtzmann wasn't going to waste time breaking through it.

"Please state your name and occupation."

"I am Rowan North, and I work as a maintenance man for the victim's building."

"Mr. North, you found the body at what time?"

"It was around 4:00 p.m."

Erin shot a glance across the room before continuing. "Interesting. What happened next?"

"I was in shock. I couldn't even step inside of the apartment, but once I collected myself I ran to the nearest pay phone and called the police." Rowan stated, rather smug if Holtz was being honest.

"Thank you Mr. North. That will be all."

The judge gestured to Holtz. "Well?"

Holtz gulped. "Uh, what?"

"The cross-examination, Ms. Holtzmann."

Mentally slapping herself, Holtz took a breath. "Y-yes, Your Honor." She could feel the prosecutor's gaze in her as she went over the case file. "So, Mr. North. You say you found the body around 4?"

Rowan nodded.

"Can you tell the court what you were doing there in the first place?"

"Of course. Although, I thought it was very clear." He began. "I'm the maintenance man for the victim's building. I was responding to a call about a leaky shower."

Leaky shower? Holtzmann thought. "Was this call from the victim?"

"No, her neighbor."

Holtz tapped her chin. "I see. So how were you aware that the victim was dead, exactly?"

Rowan smirked, though it came across more as a grimace, making Holtz uneasy. "I had seen the delivery boy leaving just as I had finished. He looked like he was in a hurry, and the door was left cracked open. I thought I would make sure he didn't try to rob her."

"How kind of you, Mr. North!" Judge Bradley commented. Holtzmann sighed. Was he being serious? Erin seemed as annoyed as Holtz was.

"And you said you were too scared to actually enter the apartment?" Holtz asked. "So how did you find the body?"

Rowan shifted in his seat, refusing to meet Holtzmann's gaze. "I could see it from where I was."

"The body was found just inside the apartment." Gorin muttered. Holtz cursed. "Something seems off, don't you think?"

Besides the fact that Rowan looked like a creep, nothing screamed guilty about him. There had to be something.

"Well, sounds good to me. If that's all the defense wants to ask-"

"Wait!" Holtz shouted. "I uh, have a few more questions." The judge sighed.

"Very well."

"So, Mr. North, what time did you discover the body?"

"Objection!" Holtz jumped at the sound of Gilbert's voice. It was louder than she expected. "We've already established the time, Your Honor. It would seem the defense is merely wasting our time."

The judge pondered Gilbert's statement. "It does seem that way. Does the defense have any actual questions for the witness?"

"Yes!" Holtz slammed her hands on the table and took a breath. "You say you never entered the apartment, but you claim to have seen the victim."

Rowan's shoulders slumped and he gritted his teeth. "That's what I said."

Got you.

"Take a look at this, Your Honor." Holtz presented a photo of the crime scene to the judge. "Don't you find this a bit strange?"

The judge brought the photo closer to his face and gasped. "I do! Who in their right mind would have yellow curtains with brown carpet? How peculiar!"

Holtzmann cringed. How is this guy qualified for this? "No, sir. Look at the layout of the scene. The body was found in the living room. But you can't see the living room from the doorway, the hallway makes an L shape that leads to the living room." Holtz pointed her finger at the witness. "That's a clear contradiction!"

Judge Bradley looked to the picture and then to Rowan. Holtzmann stole a glance at Erin. If she was surprised, she didn't show it. Her face was blank, no emotion showing. Gorin gently placed a hand on Holtz's shoulder, nodding in approval of the blonde's actions. She had to stop herself from smiling.

"That does make sense… Mr. North?"

Rowan's eyes darted around the room, as if looking for a way out of this.

"You say she's never lost a case?" Holtz whispered to Gorin. "She doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight here."

Her mentor shook her head. "It is strange. I've never seen her give up."

"Your Honor, clearly the witness is a little overwhelmed by the whole situation. May I suggest a ten minute recess to collect his thoughts."

It was more of a demand than a question, but Judge Bradley just nodded.

"I agree. The court will break for a ten minute recess."

Holtzmann collect the files and went to leave when she caught Erin's eye.

Is she smirking at me?

The prosecutor sent Holtz a wink and a devilish grin before gathering her things, waltzing out like nothing was wrong.

That can't be good.


	2. Chapter 2

Abby was the first to greet them.

"What is going on?" Holtzmann ran a hand through her hair and shrugged.

"Well, the evidence against Benny is, uh, hard I guess. But there's something about Rowan's testimony that rubs me the wrong way."

Abby rubbed her temples and sighed. "Benny would be accused of murder, wouldn't he?" She let out a stiff laugh. "Guess that's what happens when you don't get the soup to wanton ratio right. He did manage to make that statue though. The kid is something else."

Holtz giggled at the statement. Gorin cleared her throat, causing Holtz to stand up straighter. Her mentor motioned towards the door. Holtz followed her gaze and her stomach dropped. Erin Gilbert was walking towards them. Her line of sight was on Holtzmann, however, making the young attorney blush. Abby let out a groan as she saw Erin, and Holtz quirked an eyebrow.

"Abigail." Erin curtly nodded towards Holtz's friend, though she didn't take her eyes off of Holtzmann. Abby huffed, crossing her arms and choosing to look elsewhere.

 _I should ask her about that later._

"Ms. Gilbert." Gorin started. "How can we help you?"

Erin smiled, what Holtz thought was a smile. "I just wanted to tell the defense that this trial is almost over. I expect it to end within five minutes, actually." She said smugly.

Holtz rolled her eyes. She had found a major contradiction, and she was sure Rowan wasn't telling the truth. "You're right." Holtzmann said. Abby went slack jawed at the statement and proceeded to smack the attorney's shoulder.

"What? You can't be serious!"

Rubbing her shoulder, Holtz nodded. "Dead. But I think Gilbert's outcome is different from mine." She looked towards the prosecutor, daring her to disagree. Erin scoffed as she shook her head. "Benny won't be the one in handcuffs, I can promise you that."

Erin let out a stiff laugh. "If that's what you want to believe. I'd hate to see your dreams get crushed, though." She walked past the trio, but stopped at Holtz. She could feel the prosecutor's warm breath on her ear, causing her to tense up. "Don't get your hopes up."

* * *

"Court is now back in session. Mr. North, I believe you've had enough time to recollect your thoughts during recess?"

Rowan nodded. He looked more calm, and still smug as ever. Holtzmann fought back a scowl.

"Good. Now, would you please provide the court with your revised testimony?"

Leaning her hands on the table, Holtz focused. He would slip up, she just had to pay attention.

"Around three in the afternoon, I had received a call about a resident's leaky shower."

"How long did it take you to get there?" Holtzmann asked.

"Fifteen minutes." Rowan replied smoothly. "After arriving at the building, I proceeded to fix the shower. When I was finished, it was about 3:50 p.m."

"So it took you ten minutes to leave the apartment?" Holtz asked.

"I had paperwork to fill out."

"And you couldn't do that back at your place?"

"Objection." Erin said. Holtz screamed internally. "The defense is asking pointless questions."

The judge tapped his chin with his gavel. "Good point. Defense, please try to stay on track."

"Yes, Your Honor." Holtz muttered. "So, you left the apartment, then what?"

"I happened to notice that the door was slightly ajar, which I found odd. Before I investigated, that man rushed past me." He pointed to Benny, who smiled sheepishly and waved. "I thought it was odd, so I decided to take a look. I had stepped inside, and found the body in the living room. My first action was to call the police, but her phone was dead."

"There had been a blackout on the victim's block that lasted from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m." Erin chimed in. Holtz added that information to her notes.

"So I went to the closest payphone and dialed the police."

Holtzmann laid out the files, along with her notes from the new testimony. The autopsy had reported that the time of death was around four, and it only took one hit from that statue to get the job done.

"How did you know what time it was?" Holtz questioned.

Rowan froze in his seat, but quickly shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms.

"I had heard the time being announced on the television in the victim's apartment. Probably the news."

"Jillian," Gorin whispered, "that doesn't make any sense."

Holtz studied her notes again. It didn't mention the television being on…

 _Hold it!_

"You say the television was on, Mr. North?"

"That's what I said." Rowan looked annoyed, but Holtzmann continued.

"You're lying!"

The courtroom erupted in low murmurs.

"That's a bold accusation, Ms. Holtzmann." Erin said. "What makes you doubt the witness?"

Holtzmann held up the case files and smirked.

"I don't know if you forgot, but there was a blackout at the time Mr. North said he found the body. Or do you not remember saying that?" Holtz teased, smiling when she saw the other woman's mouth open in shock. How could Erin not of noticed that crucial detail?

"Fascinating, Ms. Holtzmann. But what does it mean?" Judge Bradley asked in awe. Holtz palmed her forehead, cringing at the man's stupidity. Gorin sighed beside her.

"It means that Mr. North was lying."

"The time he found the body is correct." Erin debated. "He clearly is still confused from-"

"Hold it!" Holtz shouted, pointing her finger to towards the prosecutor. Erin rose her eyebrows in surprise while physically backing down. "Your Honor, take a look at this." She presented the murder weapon to the judge, who eyed it curiously.

"It looks like...a statue of a man." He concluded.

"Yes!" Holtz agreed. "It _looks like_ a statue. But it isn't." Gasps erupted from the jury. Holtz swore she could see beads of sweat on Erin's forehead. The prosecutor looked like she would throw up at any minute.

"Order!" The judge pounded his gavel. The courtroom quieted down, but Holtz was fired up. Adrenaline kicking in, she prepared to deliver the best butt-kicking of all butt-kickings.

"Look at this." Holtz turned the statue around and pressed a button on the head.

"It is...1:34 o'clock."

"My word! A talking statue!" The judge proclaimed.

"Oh my god…" Gorin muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Not magic, Your Honor. This statute doubles as a clock." Holtz announced. "Benny made it himself." Benny mustered up a smile and shrugged.

"Wait a minute, the suspect made the murder weapon? Why was that not established at the beginning at the trial?" Erin demanded. "That is a crucial detail to this case." She eyed Holtzmann, who rubbed the back of her neck and let out an uneasy laugh.

"I uh, hadn't really thought about it."

Erin tsked, looking to the judge and said "I would like to ask the suspect a few more questions."

Judge Bradley popped a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth and nodded. Holtz was growing annoyed at the man; where did he even keep the popcorn? Benny took the stand yet again, the fierce gaze of Erin Gilbert on him the whole time.

"The defense says you made the statue."

"Well, actually it's a clock."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Yes, a clock. Why was this clock at the victim's apartment?"

Benny squirmed a bit, quickly looking to Holtz, who nodded encouragingly. He let out a breath and continued. "It was a gift, actually. I had made two, one for me and an extra one, which I gave to her because she was my best customer."

Holtzmann's fingers tapped on the table. What was Gilbert going to pull?

"Interesting…" Erin tapped her chin. "And how did she react to this gift?"

"Well, she didn't really know what to say. Most people don't go around giving away cool clocks I guess."

"I'm sure." Erin replied, though she seemed uninterested. "That is all, for now." Benny let out a sigh of relief, but Holtz was tense.

"I feel like that was a bit pointless, don't you?" Gorin asked. Holtzmann agreed, but there had to be a reason. Erin was smart, Holtz deduced. Smart enough to stall if she had to. Getting off topic was one way. She had brought up the clock, how it could tell the time…

"Objection!"

"Um, to what Ms. Holtzmann?" The judge asked. Holtz smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck out of embarrassment.

"Uh, I mean, wait! I have decisive evidence against the witness."

"And that would be?"

"The clock."

"Go on."

Holtz held up the case files and tapped them gently. "It says that there was a blackout at the victim's building, but our witness clearly remembers what time he found the body, claiming to have heard it on the television. But that contradicts the blackout. The only other way he could have heard it was the clock."

"That's ludicrous, Your Honor. There is no way the clock could have been activated." Erin argued, but Holtz puffed her chest out and pointed a finger at the witness.

"He activated it while hitting the victim!"

"What kind of-"

"He is the one who murdered the victim!" Holtz interrupted. "He _did_ go inside the apartment, most likely to steal something, and was surprised to be caught. Quickly thinking, he grabbed the clock and bashed the victim, but was caught off guard by the clock telling the time."

Rowan let out a scream of agony that echoed throughout the courtroom. Erin was gripping the table like her life depended on it, face scrunched up and sweat evident on her forehead.

"Well, Mr. North? Do you have anything to say?" Judge Bradley asked. Rowan stayed mute, anger flashing through his eyes. "I see. I think we have come to a verdict. Mr. North, you are charged with the murder of Ann Fisher." Judge Bradley pounded his gavel.

* * *

"Thank you so much Holtzmann!" Benny practically tackled the attorney in a hug. Holtz gently patted his shoulder.

"It was no problem, really."

"Is there any way I can repay you?"

"Maybe try getting the wanton to soup ratio right next time?" Abby suggested. Holtz let out a laugh as Benny blushed. "But really, I'm glad you're okay. I knew from the start you were innocent." He engulfed Abby in a hug. "Jeez, Benny."

"Here, please take this. It's all I have at the moment, but it's something." Benny handed Holtz the clock. She gave him a puzzled look. Gifting evidence didn't seem… ideal.

"I'll take this." Gorin gingerly took the clock from the attorney and carefully put it into her bag. "Perhaps we should celebrate."

"There's a new Thai place just a couple of blocks from the office." Holtzmann suggested.

"Perfect. I have to make a stop at the office, though. I'll call you when I'm ready. We can all meet at the office?" Holtz and Abby nodded. Gorin gave a tight-lipped smile and waved a goodbye. Little did Holtzmann know that was the last time she would see her mentor alive.


End file.
